surveys

In my last blog I wrote about some useful cloud based services that could be used by development professionals for their convenience, and also for understanding the broader implications of moving towards the cloud. Today we will look at some innovative uses of cloud services.

A service or a tool is only as good as the use you make of it. Two interesting uses of cloud services are the use of Google Docs to do surveys, and the potential for real time collaboration.

It was in Manila last week where I came across a banner headline on a major broadsheet that read “The people, not surveys, should judge (the president’s) performance." I was confused. Aren't people’s attitudes, opinions, and intentions precisely what surveys seek to measure? Aren’t surveys, in fact, meant to reflect the will and preferences of the people?

When surveys are done well and conscientiously, they provide valuable information from which we can derive knowledge helpful toward understanding people's opinions, especially on matters of public interest. Applying public opinion research techniques can also aid in improving the quality of democratic governance, particularly in coming to more informed decisions that more closely reflect citizen preferences (e.g., James S. Fishkin’s chapter in Governance Reform under Real-World Conditions).

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